Lcpl Tyler is back in Iraq

The 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment has returned to Iraq for their second deployment of OIF 2 (Operation Iraqi Freedom). They will be deployed in the al Anbar province, and once they are safely at their new location I will post about the place they are at.

Clyrinda (my Dove) and I went up to 29 Palms Saturday morning to spend two days with Lcpl Tyler before he deployed. Saturday night we and another couple of marine parents, the Lemans, took 10 marines and two marine wives out for a big dinner. What a joy it was to see these fine young men and their wives enjoying life and each other.

Most of Sunday was spent on base watching them organize their gear for the trip.

However there was alot of time to visit and take photos between their packing, unpacking, marking, inspecting, and whatnot.





















You have heard that marines are to "improvise", and "make do", well there was alot of that going on.

It was fun to watch the marines walk up to the Armory and return with their weapons, knowing they'll be holding them for the next seven months.

In the end their gear was ready to go and they were turned loose for "On Base Liberty", and told to return to the staging area at 0700 hours, with hair cut and "No cellphones".














On Monday morning we showed up at 0700 hours and found the busses already there and marines mingling with their loved ones.


We were allowed to mingle with them for about 2 hours, until a burly looking marine yelled "Say your goodbyes.........NOW!", at which time we literally said our goodbyes and the marines loaded onto the busses.














For the most part their spirits were high, though some seemed like lost puppy dogs being tormented by mean boys. Every marine we spoke to wanted to go, to finish the job, to help Iraq and the U.S. of A.



America's finest were not the atheletes at the Olympics, nor the students in the Universities, nor the young adults working hard to support families. America's finest were at 29 Palms that day, saying their goodbyes and climbing on the busses, rifles in hand, where they will stay for the next 7 months.